Trolley retriever



Ap 1930- P. N. VAN EPP TROLLEY RETRIEVER Filed Feb. 2'7, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet M W 9! M Guam April29, 1930. P. N. VAN EPP TROLLEY RETRIEVER Filed Feb 27, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 29, 1930. R N, VAN EPP 1,756,074

TROLLEY HETRIEVER Filed Feb. 27, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 m, wa 'w,

April 29, 1930. N E 1,756,074

TROLLEY RETR I EVER Filed Feb. 2'7, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I! llllll III/Ill amvewto Patented Apr. 29, 1930 UNITED PATENT OFFICE rAUiL N. VAN are, or rear CLINTON, omo, assrenon or ONE-THIRD o LAKE n. ownn, or SPRINGFIELD, ssour TROLLEY RETRIEVER App ication file Febr ary 2 1.928. N 3

My inve ion r lates o l ey re ie s, andin general my object is to provide a dura e s lfcting d e o r triev or dr downa trolleyfollowing its accidental displacement from a trolley wire, and'a further object is to provide siinple means in such a retriever whereby eplacement of the trol- 1ey to its original working position may be cf.-

ifect d i hease an pa ch and the r rie' reset for further ret e ing pe tie' s- I h a comp nying r wings, F gl is a ide elWiLtioIld the r ri er, nd F g- 2 s a mila i w Of the etriev r with po i n o the'casing' in section to'reveal interior part-s in elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the retriever casing on line 33 of Fig. 2, the reel being om tted and the control plate being broken away inpart to show the retriever spring and pawl. Fig. 4 is a vertical section ofthe casing on line of Fig. 2. Fig. ,5 is a front View of the locking pawl, and Fig. 6 is arear viewof the same pawl. 'Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the retriever on line 7-.-'7 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a sectional View of the retrievercorresponding in part to Fig. 7, one

half of the reel 'being'broken'away and a portion of the control also broken away to re- "veal the Working parts. Fig. 9 is a sectional view, correspondinginpart to Fig. 2, show.- ng'the'flange portion of the reel 1n section.

Fig. 10 is a sectional View of the casing, reel and control plate, the main spring and the locking pawl being shown in elevation. F ig. 1 1 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig. 8, showing the working-parts locked together as they appear after the retriever spring has been rewound but before the locking pawl has been arrested. Fig. 12 is a horizontal section and plan View of the retriever on line 12'. 12 of Fig. 11. .iFig, 13 is a diagrammatic view showing the retrieverspring wound and CQnt-ractedvvith the locking pawl in stop engagement withthe flange or rib 48 and in the position which it assumes before its orbital travel isreversed to engage locking shoulder .36. The. invention comprises a casing 2 in the formof a hollow cast metal body of circular forn having a recessed base or rearportion 4 of reduced diameter which is provided with lugs 5 to permit'the retriever body to be detachably connected to a suitable bracket of the type and kind customarily used upon an electrically driven vehicle having a trolley pole held in running engagement with a trolley wire by a powerful spring or set of springs mounted upon a swiveling base. A cover plate 3 having integral arms 6 v of angular shape is secured by bolts 7 to a pair of cars 8 at the front edge of casing or body 2, and an additional connection is provided by a screwthreaded shaft or bolt 9 which extends axially through cover 3 and the body. Shaft 9 also serves to support'several rotatable parts internally of the casing, including a rope winding reel R. Thus shaft 9 is screw-com nected to a central hub 10 within the recessed base 4, and a nut 11 is used to lock the bolt against rotation. The front end of the shaft passes through a hollow hub 12which extends inwardly toward the casing, the outside of the hub being of eccentric form to pro- Vide aconnecting shoulder 14 for the hook end 15 0f a coiled spring 16 which is confined Within a circular chamber 17 in reel R. The rope 19 passes from the reel through an open space 20 which separates the front plate from the casing body, one end being detachably connected to a Wire loop 21 pivotally secured so to the reel. The outer coil of spring 16 is provided with. a supplementary extension or strip 22 of heavier spring material having slip locking connection with a series of beveled projections or teeth 18 extending inwards5 ly from the circular wall of the reel. Spring 16 is a free flexing spring which functions to take up theslack in the trolley rope during the normal play of the trolley in its travel over a trolley wire suspended at varying a0 heights above the car track at different places along the line. A series of radial ribs 25 extend into chamber 17 from the flat side wall 26 of the reel, and spring 16 bears at its edges against said ribs.

I Two governor arms 28 are pivotally mounted outside upon wall 26 of reel R, and these arms are linked together for joint movemen n e tri ugelly actuat d, each a m having a spring 29'connected thereto to re- 1 verse its movement and to hold the longer end of one of the arms against a short post when the reel is at rest or rotating slowly, see Fig. 8; 'When the reel is rapidly rotated, as occurs whenthe trolley jumps the trolley wiref the governor arms fly outwardly against stop lugs 32 on wall 26 of the reel,- and the end of one governor arm strikesa latera-ljprojec'tion 8-2on a-control plate or fiat disk D which is rotatably -mounted' upon shaft 9 directly opposite wall 26. The shock or impact rotates said disk a short distance in a clockwise direction against the tension of a strong retriever spring' S which is wound :jupwandi-held in that condition by a gravity locking pawl P which is'pivotally connected to 'a'fllug33 atlone side of the disk; Locking -is eiie'cted byf'a ihOOk projection 43"at one end of pawl P, wlien'said'jprojection rests within a notch 35" between twoshou'lders'36 and 37, respectively, of "diiferent height formed at the ends of two eccentrically "cu rvedfrib portions integralwith the inner wall of casing 2. Disk Dis provided with a' ftojoth'ed hub 38 over which a spring-winding arbor'3 9f is'sleevedand with'which it is de .tachably interlocked, and the} retrieving springs has its inner coil hooked tofo'r de- "ta'chably connected with a shoulder'40 on saidarbor 39,'see Fig.4. The outer coil of theretri'ever spring S is reenforced and made stiffer bya supplemental piece'41of. spring metal and the end thereof secured by a bolt 42'to thecircular wall of base portion 4 or" the casing. Accordingly when the retriever ,fspring is' wound up its outer coil is, curled "apart from the encircling wallof the casing,

which condition permits the gravity locking Ipawl P to swing inwardly at itsjlockin'g end toward the spring arbor when said" end is 7 released from'the undercut locking shoulder 36 on casing 2. ,Itelease is e'fl'fected when disk D is rotated suddenly ina spring winding direction'by the trolley when it jumps ofi the trolley wire, the sudden rotation otthe "reellcausing the locl'zing extremityf'43 of pawl P to strike thecorn'e of- 'shoulder'37 on stationary body 2and toreboun d and swinginwardly toward the'spr'ingarbor. However the retriever spring S is more'powerful than the springs which uphold the trolley, and

therefore the trolley 'is' drawn down or retrievedverypromptly after ther inward re- "fhoundof the locking pawl occurs. "The retrieving orunwinding movement of the re triever spring Srieversesthe direction of rotation of disk D and the pawlP on thedisk 7 moves in a counter-clockwise direction while the locking end'43 of the pawl is'in a retired posit-ion or where itwill not engage shoulder fi during such reversel'movernentj In this unlocked position of the fpawl a springqpressed dog 44fcarried-by the pawlznear its pivot {projects.foutwardly'jthrough one of a 'seriesof notches or-openings 45 in tlie'flanged rim 46 of reel R, a positioning of parts which later permits rewinding and resetting operations, In that connection it should also be noted that locking pawl P is provided with a beveled lug or pad47at one side opposite the nose of the spring pressed dog 44, and that this lug or pad projectstoward and overlaps the last coil of the retriever spring S which is of sufficient width to protrude-ia and flange-48 'providea circular track around which the pad 47 on pawl P- fmust ride Ifor-an interval during the rewindingflof' the retriever spring. In that interval pawl Pi s,

prevented from swinging on its pivot thereby holding its locking end 43 ina retired or unlocked position and the dog 44 in pressing engagementwithj the-notched rim 46 of "the rope winding. reel Ri Thus assuming, that retrieying of the trolley has beenjautomatically accomplished reeli R"; is' locked by the governor arms 28'to the irevoluble' disk 'D fwhi'chj is, connected by" arbor 39" tothe retriver spring Sand thereforestill under tensionalthough' the spring is now unwound in greater or lesser degree dependent upon the counter pull of the trolley springs. To

A narrow flange 48 is 'ion restore'tlietrolley to the trolley wire'and' to V reset the working parts for retrieving operations again the retriever spring S1 must be rewound. The present device has been designed tosimplify that operation, so that the operator'isonly requiredto pull upwardly on the trolleyrope' an d rotate reel R until the retriever spring'is completely wound'up whereupon certain I actions occur automatically tor'eset the working parts'intheir original retrieving relations. To begin with,

winding l of vthe retriever "spring by manual pull on the rcpe and rotation of thereel requires a locking" connectionbetween the reel and disk D which lockingiconnection is proyided' by the governor arms 28 which remain interlocked with an'integral projection 32 OnICllSk D after retrieving; inasmuchas unlocking thereof has been prevented by the pivoted dog 44 ontheapivoted pawl P while spring S is in a run down condition, and during such time as pawl P isdisconnectedfrom bodyQ. Thus by rotating the reel in 'a'clockwise direction the retriever spring S will [be wound up and contracted, and 'at the finish of this winding movement of the spring the outer vcoil ofthespringflis drawn toward the aris' of :the spring in suificient degree to '--per nit the pad on'pawl" P toalsomovef toward: the same axis, the pawl dropping by gravity and turning on its own pivot pin 3.3 until the lockingend' 43 of the pawl engages the inclined surface leading to the notch 35. As the locking end of the pawl drops the pad 4'? on the other side of the pivot of the pawl moves into a position .where it will strike the end edge 49 of flange 48 on body 2 during the orbital travel of pawl P around the spring, thereby arresting all further spring winding movements. The operator then relieves the pull on the. trolley rope which permits the wound retriever spring-to reverse the movement of reel R and disk D, thereby carrying the lockingend 43 of the pawl backward, into engagement with the undercut shoulder 36'. on body 2 with looking effect as at the beginning- As the locking pawl P falls by=gravity into-its place in notch 35 the spring-pressed dog 44 is withdrawn from the border slot or opening 45' inthe rim or flange 46 of reel R, thus permittingthe reel to turn in a rope unwinding direction under the control of the. weaker spring 16 and the trolley springs. Release-of dog 44 also causes the governor arms 28 to be disengaged from the projection 32 on disk D- and to resume a normal inactive position as at the beginning. Thus, it will be seen that the resetting of the retrieving parts, is simplified to such an exteutthat the operatorneed only pull upward ly on the trolley-rope after a retrieving operation until the retriever spring is, wound up and the locking pawl islocked automatically and thereel itselfis unlocked to take up the slack in the trolley rope automatically.

Another important advantage is that the Y trolley, after being retrieved and drawn down, "can not be restored to the. trolley wire without windingthe main retrieverspring to its maximum tension. The operator must pull the trolley rope upwardly and rewind it from the reel. until the main spring is-fully wound up and completely contracted, otherwise the locking dog 44 on pawl P maintains the locking'connection between the reel and the main spring. Thus release 1s not effected "until-the outerreenforced coil of the main spring is contracted and drawn away from pawl P with a corresponding. following a movement of the pad 47 on the pawl which will bring thepad int-o stop relation with the end edge 49 of flange 48* on body 2. Until that-stage in windingoperations of-the main spring is reached the beveled end= of pad 47 rides o ver the beveled end edge 49 and around flange 48; When the spring is-completely contracted the pad functions, as a positive stop to prevent further unwindingof the rope from the reel, and then a slight reverse movement will permit the pawl to gravitate into locking position with shoulder 36 on body 2 as at the beginning.

What I claim, is: I

1. In a trolley retriever, a rope winding the more powerful spring; with said reel to effect retrievingwhen said reel is; rapidly revolved, locking means for said automatic means to hold-said powerful springin connection; with said reel and means for auto,- inaticallly disconnecting said powerful spring fromsaid reel when said reel is rotated in a rope. unwinding direction to wind up said spring subsequent to a retrieving operation.

2-. In a trolley retriever, a rope winding reel, a coiled take-up spring for rotating said reel idly under normal operating condi tions, a coiled retriever spring for rotating said reel in arope-winding direction to retrieve a displaced trolley, and means for effecting a workingconnection between said retriever spring and reel when the trolley is displaced, including a lockingdevice engageable with said rope windingreeland :said retriever spring and controlled by the expansion and contraction. of the coilsof said retriever spring.

3. A trolley retriever, including a ropewinding reel, two. coiled springs for rotatin said reel includinga retriever spring, meansfor-connecting one of said spring automatically to.v said, reel to retrieve the trolley, and locking means for said retriever spring controlled by-the contracting movements of one of said springs, said locking means in; cluding means. to maintain said connection until the retriever spring is completely rewonnd, and locked.

4. In a trolleyretriever, a casing, a ropewinding reel, a coiled retriever spring for said reel, a control plate connected with said spring, centrifugal locking devices for said plate carried by said reel, and a locking pawl for said control plate engageable with said casing, and. said retriever spring when unwound and; expanded, operating to. hold said locking pawl inactive until the retriever spring is completely wound and contracted. 5. In a trolley retriever, a cas1ng,a ropewinding reel mounted upon said cas ng, a

coiled. spring to rotate said reel for taking up the slack in, the trolley rope, a convolute trol plate carrying a gravity. pawl having a 'der. 7

7 A trolley retriever, including a casing,

projection adapted to 'inte rlock with said shoulder, and a retriever' -spring coiled within said casing and engageable with said pawl operating when-unwound to withhold sai a' retriever springconfined within said casing-,a rotatable plate connected to said spring,

a gravity pawl secured to saidplate having'a hookprojection, spaced shoulders within said casing adaptedtobe engaged by said projecti'on upon rotatable movements of said plate, and means -'ad'apted ,to'prevent said pawl from dropping by gravity into locking position opposite said shoulders until theretriever spring 'is' completely wound and contracte d." Y a i 8". A trolley retriever, including a casing,a convolute retrieversprlng coiled within sa1d casing, said casing having aprojection bordering the outer convolution of sa1d spring,-

and'a rotatablecontrol plate connected to saidspring having a gravity pawl adapted to interlock with said casing whens'aid spring 1s wound, sald 'pawlwlien disengaged from the casing beingarranged totravel in an orbit 'a'r'ound said spring and to'be brought into stop" contact with said projection upon windi'ng' the spring and contracting its outer convolution. 7

' 9. In a trolley retriever, 'a casing having a base recess, convolute retriever'spring confi'nedw'ltlnn said recess and pr0 ect1ng partly therefronu'a rope-winding reel, rotatable controlling devices for saidreel connected to said spring, ln'cluding V a '7 locking pawl arranged to travel in contact 'Withthe outer convolution of said spring when rewinding said spring after retrievlng operations, and astop element on sa1d casing'ln the path of a V protruding portion ofsaid pawl.

'10, A trolley retriever, comprising a casing having spaced shoulders internallythereof, a

convolute springconflned within said casing, a stop element ad acent"sa1d spr ng, a ropewindmgree'ha rotatable control plate, centriiirgal locking devices for said reel and plate, a gravity pawl mounted upon said plate adapted to engage sa1d spaced'shoulfders in'reverse rotatable movements of said IT", UL

'nected to said reel, a retatable control'plate having lugs, centrifugal-locking members on said reel adapted to engage said lugs when the reel is suddenly rotated, ag'ravity looking pawl mounted upon said plate, a locking por tionand an impact portionupon said casing projection apart from said locking shoulto interlock with said reel, a projecting, pad on said pawl.engageable with-the outer-convolutions 10f theretriever spring, and a stop .on saidcasing 'engageable by:said pad when the retriever spring is'rewound. V

12. Atrolley retriever, comprising" a casing having abase recess, a CODVOlHlIG'I'GilIlQVGl spring having its outer convolution attached to' said casing'and projecting beyond said recess, a projectionattheborderof-said recess, a rotatable control plate having an arbor 7 connected withfthe inner convolution of said spring, a gravitypawl pivoted to said control plate having a pad at one end adapted to ride upon the outer convolution of said spring andcto engage said border projection, alocking" shoulder on said casing for saidpawl,

means' adapted to swing'said pawl inward towardlsaid spring during orbital travel of said pawl, a rope-winding reel having 7a notched flange, centrifugal locking members on'said reel and striking lugs therefor on said control plate, a spring-pressed dog on said pawl adapted to interlock with the notched flange of said reel, and a second convolute. spring connected'with said, reel and a part of said;casing.- c

'13. A trolley retriever, including a casing, a rope-Winding reel, a main spring connected to said casing, a secondary spring having slip connection'with said reel, a rotatable plate carrying a locking pawl for said main spring and plate, means for unlocking said pawl automatically upon rapid rotation of the reel, means for holding said locking pawl unlocked until the main spring is rewound, and means for locking said'reeland the pawl isun-locked. V

14. A trolley retriever, comprising a casing havinga base'recess, a main spring coiled plate together when within said recess having its outer coil secured to the; casing, a control plate having an arbor connected to the inner coil of said spring, a gravity pawl pivoted upon said plate and releasably to said casing, a pad on said pawl engageablewith the outer convolution of said main spring, a stop for the pad on the-casing, a rope-winding reel having a notched flange,- a", dog on said pawl engagecontrol plate and centrifugal locking members on said'reel adapted to interlock with said lugs when the reel is rapidly rotated, a'

coiled secondary spring having its outer coil 1n frictional slip engagement with said reel, and a cover plate for said casing having a hub connected to the inner coil of said secondary spring. I 7 In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. PAUL N'. VAN EPP.

engageable by said pawl, a' dogon said; pawl able with .saidnotched flange, lugs onfsaid 

